What impressed the Westerners most about black tea was not only the robust flavor the tea produced, but also the improved lifespan of the leaves over time. And, as British demand for black tea grew, so did the holes in their pockets as they struggled to pay for their tea treasures in a market that was quickly being monopolized by the Dutch. This motivated British traders to explore other avenues for acquiring black tea. After several failed attempts, they discovered a similar genus of the camellia sinensis plant (camellia sinensis assamica) that could be cultivated by machine in India, yielding a bolder crop at a more lucrative return, thus catapulting the Western tea industry to a new level and reshaping our perception of the importance of black tea today.